It does not look like Stephen Curry will sign with any franchise other than the Golden State Warriors anytime soon, but the Chef officially remains in sneaker free agency after cutting ties with Under Armour earlier this season. However, that may change in the coming days, with rumors heating up that Curry has zeroed in on potential brands. Per Kyrie Irving, it would be the best decision he could make.
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Irving, since leaving Nike, has become the face of ANTA, a Chinese brand. He also serves as the Chief Creative Officer for its basketball division and wears their shoes in the league. As a result, he has tried to recruit Curry.
Big brands like Adidas, Nike, and Reebok have surely thrown lucrative offers at Curry. He is simply that big, both as a player and as a personality. But according to Irving, who spoke with Curry, ANTA would be the best choice.
“We spoke briefly,” Irving said in a promotional video about getting Steph to ANTA. “It’s a big competition out there right now, for him… We just have a lot of respect for each other as competitors, and it’s not common for Steph to wear another person’s shoes.”
“ANTA is the best shoe brand. I’m glad Steph found that he can have success in our shoes,” the Dallas Mavericks star added.
“ANTA is the best shoe brand. I’m glad Steph found that he can have success in our shoes.”
– Kyrie Irving shares that he’s had conversations with Stephen Curry about signing to ANTA pic.twitter.com/zIyFkZuWpj
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) March 4, 2026
Irving was referring to the fact that Curry has already wore a range of ANTA shoes this season. Since parting ways with Under Armor, he’s worn multiple shoes from multiple brands, including Jordans, and also kicks dedicated to other stars in the league like Irving, and his former teammate Klay Thompson, who has a lifetime contract with ANTA.
At the 2026 All-Star weekend, Curry was wearing Irving’s “Kai Mentality” shoes, which could have been a hint that there were serious talks held between the two parties. Then, last week, while training, the Warriors legend was spotted wearing the ANTA Eclosion Type 2, which also featured his Curry brand logo.
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Curry signing with ANTA would be the Chinese brand’s biggest moment to date and could shift the landscape of the NBA sneaker market. More stars today are signing deals outside the traditionally dominant companies, and younger players could aspire to follow in Steph’s footsteps and join ANTA as well.
